Moistening-machine.



A. N. SOUTHWICK.

MOISTENING MACHINE. i APPLICATION FILED 111111115, 1909.

Patented Apr.- 19, 1910,

CIW

maire s ALBERT N'. SOUTHWIGK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOISTENINGr-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT N. SOUTH- wlck, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in New York city, in the county of New York and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMoistening-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to moistening devices especially tothe form usedfor moistening a strip of gummed tape as it is pulled off of a roll andat the same time the tape can be severed in desired lengt-hs.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved device whereby anabsorbent member will be automatically moistened at each operation byengaging the end of the tape to draw it oiia the roll and sever the end.

Tn the accompanying drawings representing one embodiment of my inventionFigure 1 is a side elevation, with one side of the receptacle broken toshow the interior. Fig. 2 shows the same in plan. Fig. 3 is a partialview similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in another position. Fig. 4 isa section through the holder for the rolls of tape and Fig. 5 is adetail o1n the securing means for the rolls.

The invention is shown as comprising a receptacle denoted generally byR, having the base B, extended, to which is secured an upright l), forsupporting a roll of gummed tape T. At one end of the receptacle isarranged a frame or holder 6, shown as rectangular, for receiving oneend of an absorbent member 7 preferably of felt or the like material.Instead of one thick member, two members 7 and 8 are shown. The holder 6projects above the side 9 of the receptacle and is suitably secured tothe receptacle by a hinge to swing inward, as indicated in Fig. 3. It isshown hinged at 10 near the bottom of the receptacle and provided with aspring 11 tending to retain it in the upright position shown in Fig. 1.The upper end of the absorbent member 7 is shown as projecting slightlyabove the holder 6, and the lower end eX- tends down to the bottom ofthe receptacle, and then is bent to extend along the bottom; and thelower end of the other absorbent member 8 is bent in a similar manner.The receptacle is about half lled with water whereby the lower ends ofthe absorbent material are always wet. The upper ends will becomemoistened also by Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .Tune 15, 1909.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

Serial No. 502,228.

the natural capillary attraction of the felt, but the feed of the waterto the felt is greatly assisted by swinging the holder 6 that will serveto compress the felt, and when it expands it will absorb or suck up thewater, and this is done by swinging the frame inwardly as shown in Fig.2.

The tape T supported on the arm is guided to move across the top of theabsorbent piece in the holder 6. This is preferably done by providing aframe 12, hinged at 13 on the lid member 14, of the receptacle. The lidis hinged at 15 to the receptacle, and is shown as secured by a springarm 16 on the opposite side having its upper end bent inward. The frame12 at its upper part has a blade or cutter 17 hinged thereto at 18, theblade having preferably sharp teeth on its lower end. The blade ishinged directly above the projecting end of the absorbent member in theholder, so that the tape can be drawn between the lower end of the bladeand the felt, to be moistened on its lower gummed face by the felt,before it is severed. The tape from the roll passes under a guide pin orbar 19 carried by the frame 12. It is pressed against this guide by aspring plate 2O that is secured to the lid 14. By this means the tapecan be placed in position by swinging the frame 12 upward on the hinge13, to place the tape underneath the bar and lay it across the felt.Then the frame is swung downward and the tape will be pressed againstthe bar by the spring plate 20. It will be observed that these membersare carried by the swinging lid 14, except the resilient member, so thatwhen the lid is swung upward they will all be carried with it, exposingthe absorbent member in the receptacle, whereby, the latter can bereadily renewed, or receive other attention, and which will facilitatethe filling of the receptacle. The frame 12 is secured in position byhavingv a spring end 22 containing an aperture that engages a pin 23 onthe lid 14.

The blade 17 engages a spring 24 carried by the frame 12 that normallyholds it a short distance away from the felt piece 7, as indicated inFig. 1. A bent arm 40 has a slotted end through which passes a screw 41turning in the upright 12 by which the bent arm is adjusted to limit theswing of the blade 17.

In the operation of the device, the tape after being severed willnormally lie with its extremity engaging the end of the blade as shownin Fig. 1. By pressing inwardly on the frame 6 carrying the absorbentmaterial, and at the samel time pressing inwardly on the blade, the tapethat is held between the spring 20 and the guide pin 19, will thereby becaused to project a short distance beyond the blade and the felt. Thesetwo members can readily be swung in this manner by pressing with thethumb and first finger, by which means the projecting end of the tapecan be grasped and pulled forward. This will cause the lower gummed faceof the tape to wipe against the end of the felt and thereby bemoistened. Obviously, as soon as suiiicient tape is drawn out asrequired, the tape can be given an upward movement to cause it to besevered by the edge of the blade 17. As soon as the thumb and iingerstart to pull the tape, the felt and blade are released and will returnto their normal position. This swinging of the holder G for the feltwill each time cause water to be sucked up into the felt and keep itconstantly in a moist condition. As each piece of tape is cut by theblade, the severed end of the tape will lie against the lower end of theblade and the said inward swinging movement of the blade and the holder6 will permit the end of the tape to be engaged and drawn out-ward.

The upright P is shown as carrying a tube 25, secured in an aperturetherein, in which tube are two plungers 26 and 27, having their innerends connected by a. coil spring 2S. The outer end of these plungers areslotted and carry cross pins 29 and 30. On

one end is a bar 31 having a. slot 32, in

which engages the pin 29, whereby the bar is secured to the plunger. Atthe other end is a bar 34 having a slot 33 in which rides the pin 30 bywhich means the bar slides in the slot in the plunger Q7. By drawing thebar endwise until the end of the slotted portion engages the pin, it canbe extended in alinement with the plunger and the roll of tape is thenslipped on the tube. Then a retaining plate 36 having an opening 37 ispassed over the slotted bar, and the latter is pulled outwardly until itcan be turned transversely to the plunger, which is permitted by thecoil spring, and the bar is slid until its middle portion is engaged bythe plunger, when the spring will draw the bar to press the plate 36against the roll T and retain it in position. This operation is the sameon the other side where a roll of tape T can be placed of greater widththan the roll T. The moistening and severing parts are made wide enoughto admit these two rolls as shown.

Having t-hus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. The combination with a receptacle, of a holder located at one end ofthe receptacle and projecting beyond the top thereof, the holder havinga hinge connection with the receptacle near the bottom, and an absorbentmember in the holder having one end projecting up beyond the holder andthe other end extending down to and along the bottom of the receptaclewhereby the absorbent member is bent at its intermediate portion uponswinging o-f the holder.

2. The combination with a receptacle, of a holder located at one end ofthe receptacle and projecting beyond the top thereof, the holder havinga hinge connection with the receptacle near the bottom, and an absorbentmember in the holder having one end projecting up beyond the holder andthe other end extending down to and along `the bottom of the receptaclewhereby the absorbent member is bent at its intermediate portion uponswinging of the holder, and a cut-- ting blade movably supported abovethe upper end of the absorbent member in the holder whereby the bladeand absorbent member are brought into engagement upon the swinging ofboth the holder and the blade members.

3. The combination wit-h a receptacle, of a holder located at one end ofthe receptacle and projecting beyond the top and having a hingeconnection with the said end near the bottom of the receptacle, a springtending to press the holder against the end of the receptacle, and anabsorbent member in the holder having 'one end projecting up beyond thesame with the other end extending down to the bottom of the receptacleand along the bottom of the receptacle.

4. The combination with a receptacle, of a holder hinged adjacent oneend of the receptacle and extending beyond the same at the top, anabsorbent member in the holder having one end projecting above the samewith the other end extending down into the receptacle and organized tobe compressed by the swinging of the holder, a cutting blade pivotedabove the upper end of the absorbent member arranged to swing intoengagement with the end thereof, a frame to which the blade is pivoted,a tape guide carried by the frame, the frame being hinged to thereceptacle to swing open for inserting the tape, and locking means forsecuring the frame in posit-ion for operation of the blade.

5. The combination with a receptacle, of a holder hinged adjacent oneend of the receptacle and extending beyond the same at the top, anabsorbent member in the holder having oneend projecting above the samewith the other end extending down into the receptacle and organized tobe compressed by the swinging of the holder, a blade pivoted above theupper end of the absorbent member arranged to swing into engagement withthe end thereof, a

frame to which the blade is pivoted, a tape guide carried by the frame,the frame being hinged to the receptacle to swing open for inserting thetape, locking means for securing the frame in position for operation ofthe blade, and a spring member arranged to press the tape against theguide.

6. The combination of a receptacle, an absorbent member carried by thereceptacle and projecting upward therefrom, a cover hinged on thereceptacle at one side, securing means for the cover at the other side,a hinged blade supported from the cover to swing into engagement withthe absorbent member, and a guide member for t-ape also connected withthe cover.

7. The combination of a receptacle, an absorbent member carried by thereceptacle and projecting upward therefrom, a cover hinged on thereceptacle at one side, securing means for the cover at the other side,a hinged blade member supported from the cover tO swing into engagementwith the absorbent member, a guide member for tape also connected withthe cover, and a reel connected with the receptacle for supporting tape.

8. The combination of a receptacle, an absorbent member in thereceptacle projecting upward beyond the same, a swinging frame in thereceptacle for engaging the upper end of the absorbent member, a lidhinged to the receptacle, securing means for the frame, and a bladehinged to the frame tO swing into engagement with the upper end of theabsorbent member.

9. The combination of a receptacle, an absorbent member in thereceptacle projecting upward beyond the same, a swinging frame in thereceptacle for engaging the upper end of the absorbent member, a lidhinged to the receptacle, securing means for the lid, a frame hinged onthe lid, securing means for the frame, a blade hinged to the frame toswing into engagement with the upper end of the absorbent member, aguide for tape carried by the frame, and a spring on the lid arranged topress the tape against the guide.

ALBERT N. SOUTHWICK.

l/Vitnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, HENRY E. GREENWOOD.

